LoL: Champ x Reader - Series
by HextechZydrate
Summary: This is a series of "Reader x Champ", which will eventually consist of ALL champions. I put it as a T rating, because i'm not sure how crazy im going to get down the line. And not ALL of them will contain smut, this is just for future purposes.
1. Aatrox

Aatrox:

"Another battle won, with ease." Aatrox mused, watching his sword with pleasure and curiosity. You merely flicked the blood off of your weapon, putting it back into the holster where it belonged.

You stared over at the demon of war as he inspected his sword with great amusement. He was passionate about merely two things: War, and the victory. This humanoid figure let his sword down from his face as he looked out onto the battlefield. His face melted into that of something serene as he stared over what was left. You, too, looked to the field. There were bodies littered everywhere. There were not many, but they were littered everywhere. And you had helped with such chaos.

You turned away from the sight and cleared your throat. "Shall we continue our journey, then?" You stared at the ground as Aatrox shifted over to you.

"You are displeased." He merely stated. "Is it getting to you?" You shake your head.

"I feel the guilt weigh on me every day. It is no different from today. But it is necessary, should I wish to continue in your name, My Lord." He merely stared at you as your brain processed the words.

In truth, you were to be the successor of such a god of war. Each battle you faced was weighing down your soul, which was forewarned to you specifically by the teacher himself. You had high hopes for a quick and (mostly) painless experience, but each time you were whisked away to battle, you felt more and more depressed. It had been a long way since then. So long, you couldn't remember if it had been months, or years.

A hand on your shoulder pulled you from your thoughts, and you looked up to Aatrox as he gave you a sympathetic smile.

"You look tired. Let's retire for today." He continued to smile at you before waving his sword in front of you. Suddenly you were in a structure that could only be described as a house, and you had no idea how you got there.

"Ah…?" You raised an eyebrow.

"Ah. Yes. I have the ability to teleport to my home at will." His hand dropped from your shoulder. It was a mess that could only be described as "organized chaos", which you thought suited him very well. That brought a smile to your face as you took a couple of steps inward.

"Its… Nice." The words slipped out uncomfortably from your lips, as Aatrox would probably be the last thing you'd call "nice". He seemed to snort his amusement, walking past you, down a long hallway, and disappearing behind a door, which remained open.

Curiosity getting the better of you, you hesitantly approached the room. Aatrox was spread across a vast bed, assorted by blankets and pillows of various sizes. You looked around the room, as it was decorated with various trophies from battles since won, and notes written in writing you couldn't decipher. You looked back to Aatrox, who had changed to be sitting up on his arm, looking at you.

"Join me?" He asked, tilting his head slightly. You raised an eyebrow to this.

"What are you saying?" You ask with an attitude to your tone. You crossed your arms and glared at him slightly. He laughed.

"Don't pout." He patted the bed. "Just come lie down and relax for once." You continued to glare at him. He rolled his eyes. "Should I command it?" You took a few more seconds to huff, but eventually took off your armor and weapon, dropping them at the floor where you stood. You reluctantly climbed into the king size mattress, putting a good amount of distance between you and him. He shook his head, flopping back into his pillows.

Regardless of awkward circumstance, the bed was quite comfy, and, after a few minutes of trying to just glare at a specific spot in the ceiling, you felt your consciousness slipping. You groaned, closing your eyes and laying your arm over your face, trying to hide your tiredness from Aatrox. He laughed gently, which surprised you. You turned your head, peeking out from under your arm. He had propped himself up on his arm, looking over at you.

"If you're tired, you should sleep." He mused. Your eyes dropped at him.

"Uh huh. With you lying over there? I think I'll pass." You huffed before turning away. His dark chuckle was more than a little intimidating, and you tried to hold back a shudder.

"You're so far." He said, the bed shifting.

"For good reas—Eek!" You were suddenly pulled to the middle of the bed, cuddled and curled up in the arms of Aatrox, who was merely snuggling into your hair.

"There…" He said quietly.

"M-my Lord…" You said, wiggling your arms up until you could push against his chest. You tried to do so, but to little avail, as his grip on you tightened. "…Aatorx..." You said skittishly. This was completely out of character for him, as well as a little more than embarrassing for you. You gulped, twisting your head until you could look up at him clearly.

For being inhuman, he wasn't half bad looking. He had a hard chin, high cheek bones, and the glow of his red eyes had dimmed to a dulled maroon. You blinked, no longer being able to find the words you wanted to say as he stared down at you. His arms, although already around you, snaked a little further.

"…I want to take away your grief." He said quietly. You blinked at that statement. "If this sort of… activity is going to continue to be too much for you, I can dismiss you from such a mission." He said a little louder than his previous statement.

"We've come so far, though… I feel if I turned around now, I'd still feel the weight of everything I had done." You said, narrowing your eyes slightly. "On top of that, the fact that I would feel like a quitter would be…" You let your sentence trail, unable to find the right emotion for that particular statement.

"…Don't fret about things like that." He tilted his head slightly. "Should you wish to stop, I will take away your pain. I… wouldn't want you to continue to suffer, long after this has passed."

"My Lord…" You looked away slightly.

"Say my name." He said, pulling an arm out from under you to tug your chin. You faced him unwillingly. "I prefer it when you say my name." You gulped. You could feel the heat rising in your face as he stared down at you.

"I…" _Feel so strange._ Your emotional turmoil clouded any rational thought. "…Aatrox." You said quietly. He closed his eyes, looking as if he were trying to keep some sort of composure. "Why are you doing this?" You ask gently.

"I don't know." His hand slipped away from your chin. "Recently, I've felt… different. Towards you. Perhaps it has been because of this journey, but my closeness of you feels unreal…" You could hear his heart in the silence. Or… Maybe that was yours?

"I… Don't know what to say."

"Say I am not the only one to feel this way." You felt the grip of his hand twitch, almost anticipating something he did not want to hear. You took a few moments to gather your thoughts together, trying to put together the jumble into something cognitive.

"Well…" You started, but you honestly didn't know what to say. A strange comfort had bubbled up in your stomach between all of this talking and cuddling, and that was when you realized: You never wanted to be without this.

"Well…?"

"…Can you hold me like this for a little longer?" You asked quietly, giving up on your resistance against his chest. He said nothing for a while before pulling you into his chest and chuckling.

"Of course, my dear…" He said gently. And as you lie there in his arms, you drift on the strangeness of your newfound emotions into a comfortable sleep that you never knew you needed.


	2. Ahri

Ahri:

"Don't you trust me?" The 9-tailed temptress trailed her finger over your chin, and you raised it from her touch.

"Does it look like it?" You huffed. She pulled her hand away with a pout, her tails flicking back and forth behind her. "I know why you're here." You said, crossing your arms. She raised an eyebrow to that.

"You do?"

"You've got quite the reputation, Ahri. You think I don't know why you'd try to seduce me?" She looked to the ground, saddened.

"No, That's…" She bit her lip. Your brow furrowed in confusion at the sudden change in character. She looked troubled. You forced a chuckle, poking her in the arm.

"…Well, lucky for me, I'm resistant to your magical… Charm." You said, shrugging off her strange behavior. She seemed to perk up slightly when she realized you were merely joking. You turned your head away from her, uncomfortable by the look she was giving you. What was wrong with her, all of the sudden? This lack of happy-go-lucky that she normally had was unlike anything you'd encountered with her before. She sighed, drawing back into the comfort of her seat and picking up her drink along the way.

It had only been the last couple of weeks that she seemed to act different around you. She teased you less, and dodged you more. This brought on a mixture of thoughts and emotions into your head. And here, you were trying to show her a good time, and get her to loosen up… And how well was that working?

You look around the Demacian pub and make note of the different sorts of characters that decorated the bar. You weren't used to Demacains. They were loud, and rowdy, and had an optimist air to them. You were more used to the Ionian way, or could even familiarize yourself with Piltover. After scanning the bar once or twice, your eyes fell back onto the half-fox, who was completely turned away from you (as much as she could be), sipping on her drinking and staring at a fixed point.

You followed her gaze to Wukong, the monkey king, who was horsing around, making drinking bets and scheming happily. You returned your gaze to Ahri.

"Friend or Foe?" You ask. She turns to you with a blink.

"Friend… My only one. Besides you." She pulled her drink to her lips and narrowed her eyes. "…If you even count." She mumbled before taking a drink. Your eyes narrowed at her and you leaned forward.

"Am I not?"

"You don't treat me very nicely." She pouted, putting her drink down on the table.

"Just because I have some strange immunity to your magic, and I tell you the blunt truth, doesn't mean I'm not your friend." She sighed, flopping in her chair more than you thought she could.

"You don't act like it." She huffed. You chuckled, gaining a flick of her hears and her attention.

"Maybe it's because I find it fun to tease you." You mused, picking up your own drink. "Or… I like you." Her ears turned towards you before her face did, her crossed arms stiffening at the comment. You leaned back in your chair with a smirk, satisfied at this reaction. "Good luck figuring out which one." You mused, lifting your drink towards her as a sign of a toast before downing what was left of it.

You wouldn't admit it aloud, but she was _very_ attractive. I mean, everyone thought so, but her personality, outside of the one that everyone Is familiar with, was also doing a toll on your emotions. You advert your eyes from her astonished stare, looking over at Wukong, who had settled down at the table, looking very intent on the game he was playing.

"Why would you tell me something like that?" Ahri interrupted your thoughts. You flicked your eyes over to her. She was giving you a hard look, almost as if she didn't believe you, on either statement. You set your drink down.

"You look stern." You raised an eyebrow to her.

"That was not the answer." She said, still staring at you.

"…Ahri. Why do you look so upset?" You tilted your head slightly.

"It's not fun to play with people's emotions on purpose." She said with a huff. "If anyone knows that…" She looked away, and you watch her eyes dance over to where you knew the Monkey King was still trying his hand at games. You stare at her for a while before standing with a sigh. She watches.

"Sorry." You said briefly, setting some money on the table for the drinks before excusing yourself. You left the bar, hands stuffed deep into your pockets, wondering why the way she stared at him bothered you so much. You hadn't made it far before a voice called out to you.

"Wait a minute!" Ahri's voice rung out. You sighed, stopping in your tracks and waiting. She jogged up to you and faced you with that stern look still decorating her face. You waited patiently for her to say something, never once letting your eyes leave her face. She searched your face for something, but gave up when she couldn't find anything, accompanied with a sigh.

"You never talk to me." She said.

"There's nothing we need to talk about." You tilted your head slightly.

"Then tell me… Why would you leave me at the bar when you were the one who invited me there?" That stung you in a strange place as she pushed all her weight onto on hip and crossed her arms. You sighed for the millionth time. "And you know _he_ would be there too, didn't you?"

"Ahri, I—" You watched her raise her hand and thrust it at you, a punch to the face coming. Except that you caught it, which astonished her. Holding onto the fist you stepped closer to her, hovering over her just enough so that she stared up at you.

"Don't." You warned. Her astonished eyes searched yours as you gently let go of her hand. You used that said hand to pull her waste into you, and you thought her eyes couldn't get any wider. You pressed her lips down onto hers with a vigor you didn't know you had. When the chance arrived, you were also able to snake your tongue into her mouth, pulling her closer to you as you did so. She groaned, gripping the back of your shirt as if she were about to rip it off. It was then you decided to pull away.

"Not here." You breathed. "Not now."

"Why?"

"It's too soon, Ahri. I hadn't even meant to do that…" You confessed. "You build up a lot of frustration in me, sometimes."

"Then… Let me take care of that." She whispered gently, going back in for the kiss. You pulled away enough for her to miss, but you did catch the look of hurt on her face.

"No." You said firmly. "I want this to be genuine. Don't rush this. I'm asking you this… as a friend." She stared at you for a while before sighing, this time with a smile.

"I… suppose that's fair." She pulled away from you. "Then I have a request." You raise your eyebrow to that, to which she giggled. "Take me on a real date tomorrow." She grinned before flipping around, tails following as she walked away. You smirked slightly at your small victory.


	3. Akali

Akali

You had her pinned underneath you, heavy breathing and weapons at each other's throats. You knew, one false move would get you killed. Same could be said of her, however. She narrowed he eyes slightly.

"You would die just to kill me?"

"Isn't that how it's supposed to be?" You say with a slight smirk. She groans.

"Alright. I'll call a draw… For now." You remove your weapons from each other. You were first to pull away, sitting across from her as you both caught your breath. Then, you were first to stand, offering your hand to the assassin. She took it. "Thank you."

"Yeah." You shrugged. "Listen… What's been going on lately?" She narrowed her eyes in confusion. You tilted your head. "You've been acting rather distracted lately. I've actually gotten an upper hand on you more than we've had to call a draw. That seems unlike you."

"…I don't know what you mean." She mumbled before turning away from you, her hair flicking this way and that when she did. You rolled your eyes as you began to follow her back to the training grounds, as you'd both gotten caught up in your training and made it well into the forest.

"Of course you don't." You sighed. She turned her head to you sharply.

"What was that, pupil?" She narrowed her eyes. You rolled yours.

"Yes, master." It was basically her way of making you drop the subject, even if that subject had come up every day for the past week. She nodded firmly.

"That's what I thought."

"Why won't you tell me what is bothering you?" This time, you would push the subject. She didn't even look at you, nor acknowledge that you said anything. You huffed. "I will not drop this so easily."

"You will." She demanded. You stopped in your tracks. After a few paces were walked ahead of you, she paused, turning. "Let's not do this."

"I will stay right here until you tell me the cause for your distractions." You pulled away the ninja mask and tossed it aside, to which she raised an eyebrow.

"I have no desire to tell you." She said flatly, turning to face you fully.

"You should have every desire to trust in me." You say just as flat. "As your pupil—no—as your _friend_ , and comrade, I have the utmost respect for you. I have no secrets from you."

"And I appreciate that." She said quietly.

"Then… Why?"

"…As your teacher, I must hold a certain image for you to look up to. I cannot confess everything to you." She said firmly.

"…Duel me for it." You say with a nod. Her face contorts in confusion. "I challenge you to a duel. Should I lose, I will drop the subject."

"And if I lose?" She raised an eyebrow.

"Then you will tell me something you are afraid to." You both stood there, looking at each other for a while, before she sighed.

"I accept your duel." She pulled out her weapons and got her stance ready. "Just know… I will not hold back from you." You chuckled at this.

"I was hoping you'd say that." You grinned, pulling yours out as well.

~.~

After hours of relentless fighting and dodging, you finally came to this. She was limping from the cut and bruises you had given her, and had discarded her mask at some point to breathe better. You were slouching from the damage she had done to your ribs, and your eye was swollen from a nasty punch she had surprised you with. She held up her weapons once more as she panted.

"I… I won't give up." She said through breaths. You shook your head.

"Tell me…" You said with a slight smirk, taking a wary step towards her. "I had to bribe you to get you to fight me like this… Why?" She narrowed her eyes. "Why fight so hard to keep your secret?"

"I will not let you undermine me simply because I wish to stay a private person." She huffed. You laughed quietly.

"You're shaking, Akali." You said, looking her over. She was on the brink of just falling over, if she took one bad step or twisted wrong. Her eyes flicked this way and that, as if she wasn't anticipating her body to fail.

"I know."

"So that means, I have a chance to beat you… And I get to know what you don't want to tell me." Her throat moved with the saliva she swallowed, trying to look calm. Your intimidation was working.

You readied your weapons, and she responded by doing the same. After a moment of you staring at each other, you notice her foot move to a different position. You take this opportunity to lunge at her. She took a step back, blocking your weapons with hers when you came down on her. She winced and fell to her knee to keep from falling over, putting you at an advantage. You pushed as hard as you could, and her arms parted away, one of her weapons flying. She gasped as you lunged again, grabbing up both her arms and pinning her to the nearest tree.

She grunted when her back hit the bark. You took a second to knock the remaining weapon from her hand, bashing it against the trunk. She dropped it with a painful sigh. You took her wrists into one hand, grabbed her throat with the other, and used one of your legs to pin her thigh. She was immobile.

Through your panting, you chuckled. "I win." Her eyes narrowed as she gritted her teeth.

"So you have." She said with a shaky voice. Your smile faded as you pulled your hand back from her throat slightly.

"So… Tell me your secret." You say quietly. She merely stares at you, panting and angry. You stared at her while her breathing begins to slow and she sighs.

"I can't." She says quietly. You narrow her eyes. "…Please." Her begging was much more hushed than you had anticipated. You took her hand from her throat and tilted her head up by her chin. Her eyes furrowed slightly and her mouth opened to speak, but nothing came out. You tilted your head slightly.

"…Interesting." You breathed before closing the gap between you, locking your lips with hers. She grunted her disapproval at first, but by the third kiss, she had quieted, enjoying the moment. You let her hands drop from yours, using the freedom to wrap around her waist instead. Her arms rested against yours as you pulled your face away from hers. You smirked slightly, hearing her audibly gulp.

"…What was interesting?" She asked quietly.

"I had already known your secret." You shrugged, to which she narrowed her eyes. "I just wanted to hear you say it, for once." After a moment of glaring you down, she sighed, turning her head away.

"We can't…"

"Because I'm your student?"

"Yes."

"Well… I'd like to say this battle may have proven my worth some…" She flicked her eyes back to you. "…You should have known. My official test into the guild is…" You took a breath and let it out slow.

"Next week?" She said under her breath. You nod. "So soon?"

"Well, I've heard I made progress quickly… I did have the best teacher." You laugh gently. She shook her head. "And when I'm officially a member… I'll no longer be your student, but you're equal."

"You're so confident…" She seemed skeptical. You pulled her face back to look into her eyes and tilted your head slightly.

"There is more than one reason that I will beat this test." She stared up at you . "When I do beat it… I will make you mine." You kiss her once more, sealing your word in her lips.


	4. Thresh

**Thresh**

You heard the pings far too late in your lane, your eyes darting from the waves of minions approaching you, to the rapidly coming Caitlyn and Leona, over again towards the river, where Rengar was approaching you at a quicker pace than you cared for.

"Shit." You cursed, turning on your heels and running, trying to make it to the tower as fast as you could. Although, with all three of them in your lane, it may not matter. They could easily take you, by yourself, with just your weapon in hand, and no ally in sight. You cursed again.

Before you could even come close to the tower, a read beam of light shot to the ground in front of you. Blinded, you faltered backwards and tried to look, only for it to be gone as soon as it had appeared. In its place, stood the opposing team's top lane, Darius, grinning at you with that evil smirk of his. You turned around to see his teammates closing in on you, the only one not grinning being Caitlyn as she put you in her sights on her gun.

You were surrounded. This would be it for you, until you were summoned back to the platform. You held up your arms to cover your face, not exactly wanting to accept your defeat, but having no other real choice. From what you could see, Leona had begun to raise her sword, ready to cast her ultimate attack on you, when a dark chuckle interrupted everyone's stance.

The people surrounding you froze in fear, looking around them for only a second. You knew, instantly, what was going to happen. You heard another dark chuckle surround you as the place became covered in a fog of war. _Nocturn!_ You grinned, turning and beginning to run. You turned sharply when you heard Darius growl loudly, racing at you with his ax in the air.

"…Shit!" You exclaimed.

"Here!" A green lantern shot out at you. As the ax was about to come down, you lept at the lantern, getting pulled just out of the Executioner's reach. You were sure his roar could be heard across the field.

You panted slightly in the arms of someone who you were glad to see… Again.

"Thresh! You were just in time…"

"Perhaps you should remain out of harm's way." He chuckled darkly, to which you grumbled slightly. "I may not always be there to… pull you out." He said, pulling you closer to him with a smirk. You chuckled.

"What, would you really leave me to the wolves?" You mused, tapping him on the nose before struggling out of his arms. He shook his head, not amused by the touching of his mask, and less so that you had escaped his grasp. "Besides," you threw over your shoulder as you began to walk back to the base, "I wouldn't get anywhere just staying under that crumbling old tower." He followed in suit rolling his eyes.

"You were supposed to wait for me." His voice echoed with the many souls he had collected over the years, sounding eerie, and yet comforting. You looked over your shoulder at the Chain Warden and grinned.

"I'm sorry." You said with a shrug. He sighed, shaking his head with a grin. You opened your mouth to say something else when an ax appeared from the brush next to you. Your eyes widened, and Thresh reached out to grab you. His fingers grazed yours as you were pulled into the brush. With a grunt, you looked up as an angered face looked down at you.

"…Gotcha." He said, his anger turning into a grin. You kicked off of him as hard as you could, turning and running. He raised his ax to you, only to be caught by a chain. Flustered by his foiled plan, he turned to see Thresh, pulling him.

"Not this time." Thresh said. Darius grunted before cutting at the chain and turning back to you. You hadn't made it far. He got ready, then flashed at you, ending up almost directly behind you. You gasped, looking over your shoulder just in time to see Darius' hand extend out to slap you into the wall. Your back hit the dirt and you groaned, falling to your knees. A lantern shot out at you. Once again, you grabbed it, being pulled out of the situation. Thresh held onto you tightly.

Darius groaned, giving chase, gaining on the both of you.

"We wont make it!" You said, trying to ping for an assist with little to no response.

"We will." Thresh turned and threw his hand into the air, his ultimate appearing as a pentagon rose from the ground, shadowy and ghost-like as it surrounded you two. "Keep going." He motioned, following right behind you. Darius ran into one of the walls and groaned yet again, deciding to use his ghost at this moment. He speed began to increase. Thresh, with a grumble, picked you up by your waist and held you to him.

"Wha—" You began to protest, but he silenced you.

"Relax…" He said seductively, yet calmly. You blink up at him as he swings a chain around. He launches out into the mid lane, just as Darius was about to reach you, and hooked onto a minion. He smirked, pulling at the chain. The two of you dashed out of harm and under your tower to safety, much to Darius' dismay. In retaliation, the Executioner began to angrily slash at minions.

You let out a sigh of relief as Thresh set you down gently. "Thresh…" You said quietly. He stiffened slightly, his hand lingering at your waist.

"Yes?" He mused, looking over at you.

"Thank you." You smiled up at him, and he responded with a similar look. You realized then, that his arm was still around you, and your hand was still decorating his shoulder. You blushed gently before pulling away.

"I better go and get my next item…" You said, turning on your heels to conceal the blush that was rapidly growing on your face.

~.~

 _ **~So i went a little out of order... Sorry in advance! I've decided to start taking requests, which are coming along slowly. So if you've made a request, be patient with me! I'll get to it as soon as possible!~**_


	5. Zed

**Zed**

You sigh for the millionth time today, overlooking the extremely beautiful estate you had come to a few weeks ago, in hopes to find some peace and quiet among the towering trees and drizzles of rain. It was quiet, to say the least, except for the one thing that had been your recent distraction. Below the balcony you had so gracefully perched on, posing dramatically in the small clearing, was a man with a mask, who was practicing his art silently.

This man had intrigued you upon his arrival nearly a week ago. You'd never seen anyone like him. He was quiet, and quick. He stayed in that spot all day, practicing various things, and when dark had brushed over the land, he would quietly retreat inside to another part of the inn. He didn't seem to mind the rain, either. In fact, you were sure he enjoyed his training better with it.

You grinned at him. Today, he wore a hood with a face mask, and not his usual metal plate. Perhaps because of the humidity. He was also shirtless, so his muscles were flawlessly flexing with each position he struck, fascinating you further. You quietly retracted to the end table by your bed, grabbing a sketch pad and silently returned to your balcony perch. You flipped open to a blank page and began to sketch the man quietly, your eyes flicking up every so often to refresh your mind of his structure.

"It is impolite to draw a portrait of someone without their permission." A voice called to you from the quiet, sending a ripple of intrigue and fear down your spine. You looked up from your sketchbook to view him staring up at you, the only visible feature being those red eyes. You gulped and smiled nervously.

"M-my apologies." You said quietly. "How did you-?"

"It has not been difficult to notice you spying on me." He seemed to muse. "You must be staring at me either to draw me, or to be infatuated with me." You laughed slightly.

"Ah. I see. Again, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to disrupt you." You pulled the half finished sketch from your booklet and offered it out to him. "You may have it, if you like."

Before you could react, he had already perched himself on the balcony in front of you and reached for the piece of paper. Astonished, you merely stared at him as he scanned it over, his red orbs dancing over the parchment. That particular feature stood out to you for some reason. He hummed, his eyes flicking up at you.

"Is this what I look like to you?" He seemed astonished or… skeptical? You peeked at the drawing and tilted your head slightly.

"Well… From as distance, I suppose." You shrug. "It's difficult to draw every detail when I'm drawing you so far from me." He chuckled.

"Perhaps you should get closer then." He gently handed the drawing back to you. "I'd prefer a finished one… If you wouldn't mind." You grinned slightly.

"I see…" You pulled yourself from the balcony with a smirk. "I hear tomorrow will be sunny…" You mused. "Perhaps it will be good lighting for you… Sir?" You raise an eyebrow in his direction, to which he nods his head in a slight respect.

"Zed." You smiled.

"That's an unusual name. It goes with the unusual man." You grinned. "Until tomorrow then… Zed." You pulled yourself into your room and closed the door behind you. You couldn't quite tell from behind his masked face, but there seemed to be a new shine is his eyes before he leapt from the railing and out of your sight. You smiled. It would be tomorrow before you knew it.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.

"I don't believe I caught your name." He said from across the clearing at you. You peeked up at him from your sketchbook, viewing him over in more detail than the night before. After giving a little smirk, you returned to sketching him out.

"I don't believe I threw it." You said teasingly. He chuckled darkly.

"Fair point." He mused, returning to being quiet. You could hear the pencil on the sketchpad in your arm, and if you let your ears venture out further, you could hear the drizzle of the rain hitting the leaves of the trees high above you, and the birds swooping through with their songs, and also his breathing behind you.

Startled, you looked behind you to see him peeking over your shoulder. He seemed interested in the sketch of him you had done so far. You turned your view over to where he was standing before, and sure enough, he was still standing there. Turning back to the figure next to you, you noticed the differences. He was a little darker, and wispier; A shadow.

"…What…" You said under a breath. This shadowy figure flicked his red eyes and you, seeming to grin.

"I was merely checking on your progress." He said before disappearing in a whim of smoke, dissipating into the air. You turned your attention back to the figure in the clearing, who had his eyes slightly narrowed in your direction. Was he… smirking? You cleared your throat.

"What are you, exactly?" You said over your sketchbook.

"A man. I merely am skilled in many arts." He said nonchalantly. You gulped slightly. "Are you afraid?"

"I am bewildered." You said gently. "I've never seen anything like that before." He seemed satisfied with that answer, humming an approval. After a few moments of just staring at each other from a distance, your hand began moving across the pages again, sketching him in a new found light of mystery and wonder, but also with a dangerous air.

"Shall I continue?" He mused. You chuckled.

"I never said you had to stand in one pose." You shrugged slightly. "That makes it easy, perhaps, but I can use a little… imagination." You smirked as you flicked your eyes up at him, to which he responded with the raise of an eyebrow. After a moment of that, he turned his attention away and began his discipline training. His lack of responding lead you to believe perhaps you had rattled him a little.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

You tapped on your sketchbook with the end of your pencil repeatedly as you stared out the window. Your thoughts had been on Zed all day, even after you both had called it a day and returned to your rooms. You sighed, looking down at the page you were on. Various sketches of his eyes with different facial structures were decorating it, your imagination taking over what could be under that mask of his.

"Was today sufficient data for your drawing?" A voice startled you from your thoughts. Your first instinct was to cover the page you had before looking to the balcony with the open window, eyes wide with surprise.

"Ah… Yes, I believe so." You said, flipping the book over and turning to several pages you had drawn him on. His feet tapped along the wood as he approached you and peeked over your shoulder, looking at the various portraits of him in numerous positions.

"These are very good." He mused before turning to me. "You see me in an interesting light."

"Your little surprise gave me a new light." You said, turning to a particular page. It was a drawing of him and his shadow, their backs touching. Zed himself looked lighter in the photo, his hand on his mask as he made to take it off, his shadow doing to opposite as he put his on, darker and his eyes a little more intense. Zed picked up the book from your hands, surprising you, and looked it over intently as he walked to the middle of the room slowly.

"Hn…"

"Do you…. Not like it?" You say as you stand.

"…These are very good." He said, turning back to you. Instantly, you realized he had turned more pages and was now looking at your more recent drawings of his face. You blushed slightly.

"Ah… I…" Your mouth had gone dry trying to come up with an excuse. He chuckled.

"However, none of these are very accurate. My face is not… Clean." He said gently before handing you back the sketchbook.

"…Clean?" You held the book close to you. He narrowed his eyes at you, which had dulled out in color. "So, you have more gruff under there?" You chuckled. He continued to stare at you before approaching you. You peered up at him as he hovered over you, pulling at his mouth cover gently from the neck. You didn't get to see much, but from what you gathered by his chin and mouth, he had quite a few scars. You peered at it before raising your hand to his cheek. Surprised, his eyes widened as it watched your hand.

"…." You traced along the scar on his chin.

"These aren't recent… Are they… all over your face?" You asked quietly. He nods in response. "…I'm sorry."

"Don't." His hand pulled away from the mask to grab your wrist before you could pull it away. "I don't want to be pitied." He said roughly. You tilted your head slightly.

"I didn't mean to—I mean… It wasn't my intention to…" You couldn't quite find the words. He stared at you before a small smile spread on his face.

"Don't mention it." He said before pulling at your wrist. You leaned into him unintentionally and your lips met. Your eyes widened, but before you could respond, he pulled away, pulling his mask back into place. "I'll see you in the morning." He let your wrist go and walked to the balcony, leaping over it with ease and disappearing into the darkness. You touched your lips gently as you continued to stare in that direction, bewildered yet again by the strange man, Zed.


	6. Katarina

**Katarina**

She quietly hid in a bush close to you, watching you walk silently across the paved road before you. So far, you had not noticed her, but you had not moved far enough for her to begin her hunt for her current mission. Not only that, but she noticed that even your footsteps were extremely quiet, which made it hard for Kat to even breath in that bush. Her eyes followed your patterns as you scanned over the area.

The courtyard was relatively quiet tonight, you thought. Almost too quiet… Even the night birds hadn't been chirping, and that worried you. Something was amiss. You took a step and caught a glimpse of glimmer in the bush just beyond you. You grinned, dipping into the alley nonchalantly.

A few more moments of silence and… Katarina slowly emerged from the bush, looking around as she did so, making sure no one could see her. It was the wrong move. As she gingerly stepped out of the bush and onto the pavement, you reached your hand out from the alley and grabbed her by the collar, yanking her into the darkness. Her arm gripped tightly around her shoulder from behind her, and she looked up at you, surprised.

"Well hello there." You mused, pushing a knife into her throat. "Taking a moonlit stroll?" You grinned. She grinned back.

"Ah… Hello to you." She said with a seductive grin. "I was just on my way home, really." She shrugged.

"Mhm." You hummed with a skeptical air. "Drop the knife." She blew her hair from her face before you could hear the clatter of her weapon on the concrete. "…Both of them." She turned her head to glare at you for a moment before the second clatter happened. You pulled her further into the alley, putting a little distance from her and her weapons.

"So… You've got me where you want me. Now what?" She said, her voice laced with seduction.

"Perhaps King Jarvan wouldn't mind having an audience with you." You chuckled, to which her eyes narrowed. "I'm sure Garen will have a hay day knowing I caught me a wild assassin." Her eyes widened slightly. You smirked at that.

"Maybe…" She said before a wild grin decorated her face. She kicked off the alley wall, flipping herself over you and grabbing your knife at the same time. You grabbed her arm as she pushed you into the wall, the struggle of power over the knife keeping you wary.

"You're strong." You said with a slight grin.

"As are you… I'm impressed." Kat chuckled.

"I'm not sure if I should be repulsed by such a compliment." You say as you force her off of you. She hit her back against the wall, and you dove into her, grabbing her wrist and shoulder. Repeatedly, you knocked her hand against the wall until she groaned, dropping it. You took the opportunity to kick it away, holding her shoulder and wrist firmly against the bricks.

"There we go… Back on top." You said. She grinned slightly.

"Is that where you normally like to be?" She mused. You narrowed her eyes at her. "I _do_ like them forceful." Her sly smile grew before she bit her lip with a sigh.

"…You've got a mouth on you." You grinned, to which she shrugged.

"What can I say? If you've got it, use it." She laughed. You grinned slightly.

"Don't mind if I do." You said, leaning up into her, forcing her wrists above her head. Her face dropped suddenly, and she struggled against you.

"What do you think you're doing?!" She growled.

"I'll make a deal with you." You said, looking down into her face, which was turning a bright crimson. She gulped quietly. "I'll let you go… If you let me kiss you."

"Come again?" She seemed shocked, or… offended? You grinned.

"No struggling, no tricks. I'll kiss you, and then I'll let you go… No capture. I'll pretend like you weren't even here… But only if you go home, and nowhere else."

"…All this, for one measly kiss?" She said before laughing. "Fine. Deal." She leaned in, trying to give you a quick peck, but you pulled away with the click of your tongue.

"Ah, ah!" You said, pushing her back against the wall. "Not so fast. I'll do it…" Gently, you let her arms go, and they dropped to the sides. You gave her a moment to decide if she was going to retaliate or not, but she didn't. You lifted one hand to her chin, lilting her face up to meet yours. She gulped, placing one hand against your chest, and the other on your shoulder.

You let your thumb gently trail over her lips. She shut her eyes, and her breathing became a little more intense. That made you wonder… Had she ever been kissed before? You leaned in slowly until your lips met hers, and she let out a little sigh of relief. You ran your fingers over her cheeks and tangled them in her hair as you deepened the kiss. Her hands were holding your arms now, completely lost in the moment.

After a few moments of that, you pulled away gently. "There… Was that so bad?" Snapping back into reality, Katarina cleared her throat.

"It was…" Her sentence trailed off, but she couldn't find the words. You laughed.

"Shall I give you another?" You mused. She huffed.

"You only said _one._ " She growled.

"Figured I'd check." You laughed, pulling your hands away from her gently as you backed away from her. Her facial expression changed from normal, Kat stare to serene, and slightly confused… Perhaps even sad. She pushed herself off of the wall and walked to the mouth of the alley, picking up her weapons. "Same time next week?" You mused. She turned to look at you over her shoulder.

"…Tomorrow." She said gently. "I'll be back tomorrow." After that, she quickly disappeared into the night, and there wasn't another disturbance again. Thinking back on it, however, as you continued to patrol for your remaining shift, you could've sworn that she was still blushing before she took off into the night, giving you a warm feeling for her return tomorrow.

It was too much fun for you.


	7. Gangplank

_*Writer's note! I've decided to go with the younger, more "captain GP" version for this story. Enjoy!*_

Gangplank and his crew laughed around you as you fell, yet again. you picked up the weapon you had been so carelessly tossed and picked yourself back up. What had it been now, the fifth time? You wiped the blood from your mouth and returned to an upright position. You turned back to the man who Gangplank had put you up against and raised your weapon. Your arm was clearly shaking, and your hand was sweaty enough to keep from having a firm grip on it.

"You're resilient." Gangplank mused, that smug grin on his face. Your eyes flicked to him for a moment before back to the towering giant that was up against you, the same look decorating his features. "Why don'cha call it quits?"

"And give you the satisfaction?" You scoffed. "Please."

"Suit yourself." He shrugged before nodding to the man in front of you. In response, the hulking mass came barreling at you, his sword coming down to meet your head. You blocked, but were forced to one knee. You weren't very good at sword play... But they were pirates after all. You thought of this as you were being pushed further and further to the ground. Pirates...

You let your leg give out and kicked at his knee. He groaned, the pain obviously shooting through him, and he fumbled his sword enough for you to gain leverage. You roared, pushing him back from you before standing. He held his knee and grumbled, but remained standing and glaring at you. The crew's laughter had began to turn into slight cheering, although you weren't sure it was for you. You brought your sword up again and smirked.

The man, now clearly agitated with your smug behavior, lunged at you. You made a quick movement and slid between his legs. You hopped up as fast as you could, and before he could fully turn around, you kicked him as hard as you could muster. He stumbled, the sword falling from his hands. His mates caught him and turned him around, throwing him back into the fray, his weapon lost to the grain of the floor. You held your sword up to his neck and he stopped. The crew suddenly got quiet.

"Give." You said gently. He glared at you, making to raise his hands to your sword. you pressed it into his neck enough to draw blood, and he paused again. "I can make quick work of your head from this distance before you can muster a retaliation." After a few moments of silence, and him flicking his eyes back and forth between you and his captain, he nodded, taking a few steps back. Several of the crew cheered, and others laughed at the man who was backing off from you. You turned to Gangplank and slammed your sword into his ship. It swung back and forth as you let it go, and you approached him.

"You got the makings of a decent pirate." He grinned down at you. It wasn't his usual smug look, which sent a ripple of intrigue down your spine. You decided to ignore him and made your way past him, through his crew, and back to your quarters to tend to your bruises.

Your ribs were bruised, possibly even fractured, which made it interesting trying to breath. In your quarters, which had been assigned to you by the Captain himself upon arrival of his ship, you leaned over a table, trying to get a hold of yourself. There was no way you could go out there like this. You weren't sure if you would be able to move by the end of the day. You grasped at your side. The makeshift brace you made was firmly in place, strapped to your side by the bandages you had wrapped around yourself.

A banging on your door shocked you, and you hissed at the pain of breathing to hard.

"Just a moment." You said as you reached for your shirt, but they didn't bother waiting. You turned away from the door to hide your injury from view, and heard the click of the door close as you attempted to get it on. It hurt like hell.

"I hear you've neglected yer chores." A gruff voice said behind you. You sighed, pulling on the second sleeve with more ease than the first.

"It took me a little longer than expected to patch myself up." You explained. You turned to Gangplank and glared at him. "No thanks to you, might I add." He smirked.

"And even with those bruises, ya still have quite the temper." He pulled a bag from out of his coat and dangled it in front of you. "Here. This will make sure you heal properly. Make sure you've eaten when you take it." You looked at it, but didn't try to reach for it. Instead, you simply glared at the man, who's face was turning into a frown. "No? Ya don't want to get better?"

"So you can keep throwing me into fights?" You crossed your arms. "You promised to drop me off at the next port If i won a fight. And now I've won 4." You groaned. "It's been _months_! What the hell do you want from me!?" He approached you faster than you had anticipated, which landed you on the floor from the surprise. You cried out when your ribs hit against your lungs, and you tried desperately to breath.

Gangplank scooped you into his arms and kicked open your door. Bewildered, you tried to scramble out of his arms, but he only tightened his grip as he took you to the ship's doctor. He shot you a glare, and you didn't dare budge further. He dropped you on the bed when you arrived in the doctor's quarters and tossed the bag at you, which you fumbled with.

"Captain?" The doctor rose, looking over at him. Gangplank merely stared down at you for a few moments before turning sharply to the man.

" _Fix_ the damn scalliwag." He said in a huff as he turned and stormed out. You stared after him, just as confused as you were a few minutes ago. you heard him spouting curses and various objects being thrown as he made his way back on deck. The doctor turned to you.

"He hurt you, didn't he?" He seemed to grin at this.

"Not exactly... I mean, sort of?" You weren't sure how to answer. The doctor chuckled.

"He gets in a tiff when he hurts people he enjoys the company of." He mused, reaching for the bag in your hands. "At one time or another, he's gain respect for each member of his crew. He takes the burden upon himself when he can do nothing for them."

"He does?" You said, your eyes still glued to the door. "So... He's... Sorry?"

"In a way." The doctor tugged at your shirt. "Let's take a look."

You were relaxing in your quarters, keeping your back straight against the wooden frame of the only window you had. The doctor had said to sit straight and lie straight, to keep the ribs from moving too much while they healed. This was the one place you had found that could keep you from slouching. So you sat, one leg dangling over the side, the other braced against the frame as you stared out over the sea. The salty breeze hit your face gently as you stared out onto the ocean, trying to make sense of today's events.

Gangplank had been acting crazy earlier. Had he gained this so called "respect" for you as well? A knock at the door interrupted your thoughts and you turned to view Gangplank standing in the doorway.

"Yes, Captain?" You said gently.

"How are you fairing?" He said, closing the door behind him.

"About as well as anyone with a few fractured ribs." You shrugged it off before turning back to the ocean. "Is there something I can do for you, Captain?"

"You can stay." He said. Your whole body stiffened, sending another one of those ripples down your spine. "Yer question, from earlier... I wanted to give ya an answer." After a few moments, you turned back to him. He had taken his hat and coat off and laid them along your table. His red tunic was slightly open in the front, probably to catch some air, but you couldn't help but stare at him. "I want ya to stay." he said, as if to confirm your thoughts on the matter.

"Why?" You asked, your heart rate picking up slightly. "Why me?"

"Hasn't it been obvious?" He mused, flopping on your bed. "I'm having the boys train ya. So you can be better acquainted with the work we do here." He grinned over at you. "Perhaps i'm being a little rough."

"A little!?" you groaned. He chuckled.

"Alright, I get yer point." He mused. You found yourself smiling at him. After a few moments of just staring, he leaned forward on his knees. "What's that goofy grin on yer face for?" Instantly, you frowned and turned away from him.

"I don't know what you mean." you huffed. He laughed again. You heard the footsteps of him walking to you and he pushed your foot out of the way. You looked up to see him sitting on the other side of the window, only an arms length of distance between the two of you. He had been peeling an orange, it looked like, and he was nearly done with it.

"Have ya been takin' that medicine I gave ya?" He asked quietly. You nodded. "Good." He seemed pleased with that as the last of the peel fell away.

"You made quick work of that." You said as he used the peeling knife to then cut it in half.

"Been doin' it a while." He mused before raising half of the orange to you. Gently, you took it. "The trick is never to use yer thumb as a stopper, just as a guide." He said before then biting into his half and looking out at the ocean. "She's a beaut." He motioned with his head. You turned to look out at the ocean only to find a whale had come up to the surface for some air a few yards away. You grinned slightly before shaking your head. He was acting so informal suddenly.

"Why are you-" You made to say as you turned, only to find his lips against yours. Your eyes widened as he tugged your chin with his free hand to tilt your head, deepening the kiss. What was this, all of the sudden!? He raised his hands to your face, and you found your reaching up to hold onto his wrists, dropping the orange somewhere. Your eyes fluttered shut as he continued, scooting closer to you as he did. He tasted like oranges, and rum, and tobacco. Before you knew it, he was pulling away while looking down at you.

"Now... You know why I want you to stay." He said. It was the most gentle you'd ever heard come out of the man, and you tried hard to swallow the dryness in your throat.

"I see." Was about all you could muster. He chuckled and pulled his hands from your face.

"I'll give you time to think about it." He said. He made to leave, but you stopped him, pulling at his hands. He raised an eyebrow at you...

"I... I don't understand." You shook your head. "If you had... Why continue to put me through these fights?" He smiled and took your hands in his.

"I told ya. I'm trainin' ya. I want'cha to be tough. If ya choose to stay... Yer gunna have to survive." He shrugged slightly. "I didn't expect ya to be so roughed up..." This was like that almost apology you thought you got while in the doctors office.

"...It's alright." You smiled slightly. "Nothing I can't get used to." His eyes seemed to light up at the comment and he leaned forward slightly.

"You'll stay?" His grin spread across his face.

"...I'll try." You shrugged. "I'll try... If you train me." A sly grin settled into his features as he let his back hit the frame of the window.

"A pirate in the makin', eh?" He was certainly amused. "I'll consider it if ya give me another peck." He said. It was seductive, but firm, like he was going to get one regardless of deal or no deal. You felt your face heating up but took a deep breath.

"I... Can't lean forward." You said with a small grin. He laughed.

"No need." He pulled himself up until his lips met yours again and he let out a sigh. You weren't sure if it was of relief, or pleasure. Either way, you had enjoyed it, now that you were expecting it. It was a strange twinge, however, that you _had_ been enjoying the kiss... "Get healed up quick." He said gently. "Because, normally, I'm not so... gentle." he smirked slightly, sending the heat of your face to your ears and nose. You didn't know what to even think of that, let alone anything else happening currently. He laughed it off and gently bid you goodnight before leaving, grabbing his coat and hat along the way.

You took in a deep breath, and let it out. Then, you raised your hands to your lips. You could still feel the blush along your cheeks, but smiled in spite of it all.


	8. Malzahar

The sudden burst through your door startled you from your studies. You looked up from the desk to see your teacher panting, leaning against the door, and not floating as he usually opted to do. He typically liked to be higher than everyone else, but today was not that day.

"Am I... Interrupting?" He said through pants. You closed your book and took away your glasses, immediately jumping out of your chair to approach him. He was holding his side, which had been cut open and was now bleeding profusely, while looking up at you, and his eyes had dimmed from his normal purple glow to an almost human color. You reached for him, which he hissed at.

"Malzahar." You warned. He shot a glare to you, and you responded with a similar look. "Let me look at it so I can fix it." He may have been your superior, but you wouldn't put up with his defiance with a wound like that. You approached again, putting his arm around your shoulder and leading him to the table you had set up for this such occasion.

Malzahar liked to delve around in things he did not yet understand, but was attempting to learn. Sometimes, it turned out... Not so great. He had ended up on your table multiple times, basically forcing you to fix it without question. You obliged, of course. You were his apprentice.

You pulled away the outfit from the wound after prying his hand off of his side, and winced. It didn't look too deep, but it was certainly gruesome. You grabbed a few things, including medicine, a needle and some thread, as well as some alcohol, and began your work.

Through patching him up, he hissed and cursed at himself, but he did not budge or wiggle. His will was strong, but his body... Well, he was trying to fix that. When you finished sewing his side back together, you bandaged it, taping over it as well so it would hold. He sat up slowly with a grumble and looked at the ground, his hands gripping the edges of the table.

"Should I bother asking what you were messing with today?" You said as you began cleaning up the mess. You threw away the various towels you had to use to clean the blood off of him and the table before washing your hands.

"That would be an invasion of privacy." He seemed to joke, although it sounded forced. Probably from the pain. You dried your hands before walking to the medicine cabinet.

"You're lucky I was a medic before this..." You trailed off as you pulled some pills from the shelf. "This is getting rather tiring, however. How am I supposed to study when your constantly hurting yourself?" You were slightly joking, however, upon turning Malzahar had slammed his fist into the cabinet behind you, surprising you. You dropped the bottle as he loomed close to you.

"Are you complaining?" He asked quietly. It was such a difference from the reaction only moments before. You quietly swallowed to clear your throat and shook your head.

"No, Sir." You responded just as quietly. He narrowed his eyes at you, and you decided to get away from his stare, even if for a moment. You slowly sank down and grabbed the bottle of pills you had dropped, making sure they were the correct ones, then stood with the same ease. You felt his eyes on you the entire time as you looked back up to him and offered him the drugs. Even when he wasn't floating, he was still taller than you by a few inches.

"Remember something..." He said, grasping your hand with this pills in it. "You are under my command, and I will use you as I see fit." The tone he gave was threatening, but you couldn't help but feel intrigued by his words. You smirked slightly.

"And how _do_ you see me, Master?" You said slyly. He raised his eyebrow before snatching the bottle from you. He pulled away to open it up and you laughed. "I suggest you don't dabble in the arts until that's healed." You sifted through the floor until you had found the jar you were looking for. "It could open the wound if you're too strenuous, and I don't want it to get infected." As you stood with the jar in your hand, you noticed the rest of them floating up around you and putting themselves back on the shelves. You grinned, looking to Malzahar to see him using his power to do said task. After it was completed, he looked to you.

"How strenuous?" He raised an eyebrow. You blinked at the strange question.

"Well, I assume lifting anything, casting too hard of a spell, any kind of extracurricular activity..."

"Hn. That's too bad." He said as he approached you. He reached for the jar and pushed his fingers through yours, takin the jar with ease. You were too shocked by the statement, as well as the gesture, to say anything more. He seemed to smirk under that mask. "If you wouldn't mind, I could use an extra pair of hands to rub this in..." He took the jar to the table before shutting the door with a wave of his hand. He removed the scarf from around his head, and then his shirt as delicately as he could. He'd have to throw it away, probably. You approached him when he put himself on the table, shaking out his brown hair.

"It's going to be cold." You said as you opened the jar. You scooped some of the goo onto your fingers and looked to the wound. It certainly looked less gruesome now that it was closed up, but it was still extremely red and irritated. You gulped at the shirtless man before timidly running your fingers across the wound. He made a noise, probably from the cold touching his flesh, but said nothing more about it. You continued to lather his wound, trying not to let your eyes stray towards his chest, or even his face.

"You're quiet." He chuckled. You shook your head. "Perhaps I rattled you."

"I'm sorry. I was just trying to focus." You confessed.

"Let me ask you something." He said, grabbing your wrist to force you to stop. You looked up at him. "How do you see me?"

"I-I see you as my teacher." You said. Why was your heart picking up suddenly? Perhaps it was because you weren't used to this kind of behavior from him.

"Come now. I could use a bit of the honesty I'm so fond of." He mused. He pushed himself off of the table, still holding onto your wrist as he grinned at you. "How. Do you. See me?" He asked again. You swallowed hard, trying to get your vocal cords to function correctly.

"...I..." You could hear your heart thumping in your ears. You closed your eyes and took a deep breath. "I see you as a man." You got out. "You're powerful, and strong, muscular, intimidating..."

"Muscular?" His voice was caked with intrigue. You shot your eyes open to his smirk as he pulled your hand to his chest. If you weren't blushing before, you certainly were now. You used your free hand to brace yourself against the desk you just realized he'd backed you into. "You seem flustered. Is this intimidating?" He said lowly.

"You could say that." You said quietly, looking down to your hands together against his chest. Hesitantly, you brought your other hand away from the desk and placed it against his chest. His smirk faded into a serene look.

"Is this what you truly desire from me?" He asked genuinely. You gulped.

"Initially? No." You answered. "I still wish to learn, but... I've been distracted. My thoughts have been drifting..."

"To me?" He seemed... surprised? Intrigued? You couldn't be sure. He ran his thumb along the curve of your wrist, and even with your closeness, you felt more drawn to him than ever. You decided to take the chance. You pushed yourself up from the desk and pressed your lips against his. Instantly, he followed in suit, groaning into the kiss as he deepened it, entangling his hands into your hair. You sighed as he ran his fingers along your neck and down your back before he pushed you back up onto the desk, never once letting his lips part from yours.

"Malz..." You said between kisses. "Is this... Okay?" You asked.

"This isn't a schoolyard." He mused, pulling away from you momentarily. "I'm your teacher, yes, but you are _no_ child." He smirked. "I will not treat you differently on the field."

"I wouldn't expect you to." You mused.

"But here, like this... Alone." He looked you over with a lustful gaze. "I could treat you well. _Very_ well. I could give you the world..." He snaked his hands back up to your face.

"I think by now, you should know, it isn't the world that I want. I simply wish to stand by what _you_ want." He stared at you, rubbing his thumbs along your cheeks and his smirk softened into something more genuine.

"And so you shall." He sealed the words with a kiss.


	9. Darius

Darius

You could tell that Darius was extremely pleased with himself, for you could hear the bellows of his laughter from across the bar. You found yourself shaking your head as you sifted through various papers and notes. His last battle must've gone well, as it usually did. This _was_ the Hand of Noxus after all.

You flicked your eyes up in time to see him clashing his beer cup with another man's and waving it around wildly, grin spread across his face. You pushed thick rimmed glasses further on your face as you observed his less-than armored physique and white streak of slightly disheveled hair. How one could be so casual was a mystery to you. A mystery you often wondered how to obtain. You returned to your studies.

Becoming a champion wasn't going to just fall in your lap, after all.

And yet, his laughing rang through your ears like a memory of happiness and ease. You decided to glance up once more, only to find that Darius was heading your direction; rather, the direction of the bar, close to where you were sitting. He casually leaned over the structure, feet away from you, and ordered a round of drinks. Two men approached behind him, obviously part of his party. You tried to remain focused on the papers before you, your heart racing at the realization of _his_ proximity. You'd only ever observed from a distance, but now...

"What's with her?" A voice interrupted your thoughts. It was Darius', but to whom was he referring?

" _Her_?" One of his comrades laughed. "She's constantly in here, takin' up all the space to _read_. She's a nerd... A nobody." They seemed to laugh off the matter, and you knew they were referring to you. You quietly cast a glance in their direction, finding Darius' eyes on you, or perhaps the mess of information in front of you. Slightly miffed at the boys, you began to gather up your papers.

"Looks like you offended her." Teased the second man in the group.

"Who cares?" The first scoffed. "Let her get mad. She can huff and puff, but she can't knock _this_ house down. I could dance circles around her." You felt a twinge somewhere and you let the papers from your hands drop. You stood quietly, pulling the glasses from your face and setting them down. Darius was staring at you now, and the lackeys hadn't noticed you'd moved.

Without realizing, you came up right on the closest of the men and pulled his arm, twisting it behind his back and pushing his face until it quickly met the bar. He wobbled, clearly disoriented. The second man, realizing what was happening, pulled his fist back. Quickly, you raised the man now at your disposal, pulling him enough for the man to throw his punch right into armor instead of you. The man cried out, waving his fist around, and you seized the opportunity to thrust the one in your hands at him, knocking them both to the ground, scrambling and confused.

"Dance around that." You mused, patting your hands together. A bellow sounded and you turned to find Darius laughing at their grunts and curses. The bar was suddenly enthralled in your fight, and was cheering all around you. you shrugged slightly.

"I'll teach you." you second man had pushed his companion off and was now gunning for you, swinging his arms in wild punches. You dodged each swiftly, bobbing left and right until your back hit a pillar. Seeming victorious, the man smirked as he threw himself as hard as he could into his swing, only to find the wooden pillar meeting his knuckles as you dodged out of the way. Growling and pivoting towards you, you decided to trip him and, using his momentum in the fall, kicked him down as hard as you could, knocking the wind out of him.

"Bitch!" You heard a shout from behind you. You turned your attention to the man now running a you, kicking up from your crouched position and nailing him right in the face, lifting him from the ground and sending him flying. You turned to capitalize it when you were lifted off the ground by your arm. The bar went quiet as you stared up into the smirking features of the towering man.

"I think you've won this fight." Darius purred. "I'd appreciate no further injury to their pride. They're no match for you, and I'm not sure they can afford the medical bills." He teased slightly as he set you back to the ground. The bar began to pick back up with its normal banter as You watched his comrades from the corner of your eye trying to pick themselves up, battered and bruised. "I'm impressed by your speed."

"...Thank you." you felt a little strange being in such a close proximity, and the anger was subsiding to be replaced by the throbbing heartbeat in your ears. You nodded and tried to push past the man, only to be pulled back by his hand on your arm.

"Come. Sit with us. I'd like to make up for the idiots under my care." He smiled. You gulped.

"I'm not one for social gatherings, but I do appreciate the gesture." You tried to shrug him off, but he refused to budge. You thought, briefly, you might have to tango with him as well. To be honest, you weren't sure you would win that fight, and you certainly didn't feel like finding out.

"Then I'll join you." He said calmly, escorting you back to your mess. Your mouth hung open, but you knew protesting would do no good. He was bigger, and already had a firm grip on your arm. Quietly, the two of you sat down and he ordered two drinks before beginning to sift through your papers. You weren't sure if you should stop him as he grinned over them.

"Something funny?" You raised an eyebrow.

"This must be some clever trick." he asked, raising a couple of the pages to you. "Almost all of these are _my_ strategies; things that I've done." He seemed to smirk when your face flushed. He was smart, of course. How dumb of you to assume otherwise.

"They are solid plans. Of course i would study them." You said with a shrug, hoping that would end the subject. You snatched the papers from his hands and returned your glasses to your face. You neatly organized them away from the drink that was now being slid towards you.

"Here." He said, lifting his glass to you.

"No, thank you, I-"

" _Drink_." He warned, although the seriousness seemed lost somewhere behind that smile. Diligently, you raised the glass to your lips and took a swig. You nearly retched at its contents, cough and spitting.

"What the hell is this?" You exclaimed through his laughter.

"Alcohol. It tends to ease things, like tension." He teased, to which you responded with a knew what alcohol was, but this stuff tasted disgusting.

"Perhaps if you had just left me alone, I would be less tense." you huffed. You gathered your things and made to stand.

"Ouch." He sighed, setting his glass down. He pulled you back to the seat, a little more gently than he had handled you earlier, and raised a hand to your face.

"What are you..." You trailed off as he pulled the glasses and papers away from you and set them on the table.

"I'm sorry my... aloof behavior isn't as appealing as you anticipated." He chuckled softly. "I mean't to make light of things. I simply want you to relax. I supposed i'm good at being a brute, not so much the strategics. *You* on the other hand..." He motioned to the guys back at his table, tending to wounds you had inflicted. "That was quick thinking. I said I was impressed once already, but I meant it."

"...Thank you." You said again, and he began shifting through the papers once more. you took a deep breath, tucking your hair behind your ear and looked up at him. "So... Why are you suddenly interested in my... Techniques?"

"You remind me of someone." He said simply. "You are trying to get into the League?" It was a question as well as a statement, like he already knew but wanted confirmation. For being a "brute", he was a lot smarter than he let on.

"...It's true. Someday, I want to prove that I'm not just a "nobody". That I can do things..."

"I think you've already done enough." He laughed as he gestured to the table with the two men, both of their faces bruised, and one still bleeding from the nostrils. "I think a little more than just pride was damaged there."

"Serves them right for having a big mouth." You huffed.

"Fair enough." He mused. "I think we should try this again." He said as he stood. He held his hand out to you with a smile. "Let's make a better impression of ourselves." Hesitant, you merely stared. He seemed to like you... He hadn't thrown you across the bar for roughing up his men, so that seemed like a good sign. What was the worst that could happen, if you had him by your side? So, you took it, and he led you to their table, drinks in hand.

 _~Timeskip!~_

"Oh my..." You breathed. The world was spinning, signifying you had had far too much to drink. But you couldn't let the boys out drink you, no sir. After all that big talk about how you could drink them all under the table, you were expected to prove it, and by the gods, did you. Except, of course, the brute across from you was still up to par, and he was swaying just as much as you were.

"You good?" He tilted his head, and drunk vision made the movement so much bigger than you anticipated. "I'm surprised you're still even conscious."

"I'm not entirely sure how long I will remain that way." you said, trying to keep your body from turning in the rhythm that your head was. "I had... a lot."

"Indeed you did." He laughed. "It's nice to have someone at least sober enough to chat with." He stood, wobbling slightly (or was that your vision?), before making his way to you. "C'mon. Let's go get some air to clear that head."

"Standing? That sounds dreadful." You laughed.

"C'mon, I'll carry ya." He said, scooping you up into his arms before you could do much protesting. Not that you had the energy to protest. You felt like a limp noodle in his arms. They were big, and warm, and they carried you into the night air as if you were weightless. Breathing in cool air seemed to ease the stomach pains, but you still felt a touch of dizziness.

"Darius, You don't have to... I can walk..." You gave, but he only gripped you tighter.

"We'll sit on that bench for a while." He said, motioning to it. It only took him a few strides before he was easing you onto the cold wood and flopping next to you.

"Well... Thank you." You grinned up at him.

"For carrying you?" He raised an eyebrow at you.

"For being a big softie." You mused. "For having such a tremendous reputation, you sure turned out nothing like I expected."

"Oh?" He leaned on his knees, grinning at you. "And what did you expect?"

"I... Well, I expected to be swept under the rug." You said this as you began counting on your fingers the number of things you could think of. "You didn't pummel me when I beat up your men, which I had anticipated. You're intimidating, but... Friendly. You're firm, but kind. You claim to be this big brute, but you really are smart... You're reputation makes you ruthless, and yet, you found time to be kind to me." You stared at each other for a moment before he cleared his throat with a chuckle.

"You caught me at a good time." He said, leaning back on the bench. "I didn't pummel you because your impression was intriguing... Or was it an indention in that guy's face?" You laughed at his joke, and he hummed his amusement. "You're laugh is... oddly comforting." Looking into his face, you could tell that the comment was genuine.

"I'm... Glad that you find it comforting." And you were merely smiling at each other for a while before you turned to hide your bashfulness.

"Might I see you tomorrow?" He asked quietly.

"What?" you turned back.

"Tomorrow... Will you be here?" He asked. The serene look on his face while he watched your movements sent a weird sensation trickling down your spine and into your stomach.

"I... suppose, if I'm not babying too much of a hangover." You said quietly.

"Then, I shall come to check on you, if you are not here tomorrow." He grinned. "For now... I'll walk you home." He stood and offered you his hand. You took it, and he lifted you gently, asking for the directions to your house. After explaining it to him, you quietly walked together to your home, although not at all awkward.

"Here we are." You said, turning to him at the foot of the door. "Thank you, again, for walking me home."

"My pleasure." He grinned. and you both stood there, the silence between the two of you now becoming awkward. To break the silence, Darius laughed. "Hesitant. Are you trying to work up the courage to ask me inside?" He smirked when you felt your face heat up, and you were sure you were lit like a fireworks celebration.

"D-Darius!" You managed to exclaim.

"i'm just teasing." He chuckled. He ran a thumb over your cheek while that laughter faded into just a smile. "Until tomorrow... Goodnight." He said quietly before pulling away, heading back the way you two had come. And you watched him go, your heart pounding in your ears the entire time.


End file.
